Ruling party, opposition assess meeting of Georgian, Russian FMs differently

Officials and politicians in Georgia have assessed the recent meeting of the Georgian and Russian Foreign Ministers in New York, which is the first since Georgia suspended its diplomatic ties with Russia following the Russia-Georgia war in 2008. 

Georgian PM's special representative for relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze said the Georgian delegation “has received a message” from its western friends during the ongoing 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that “direct communication with Russia is necessary”.

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Strategic Communication Advisor to the Prime Minister Irakli Chikovani reiterated that Georgia has received “a number of recommendations” from its international partners to have such communication with Russia. 

Of course, we had consultations with our strategic partners - the United Stated, the European Union and other friends”, Chikovani said.

He said it is yet early to speak of any following opportunities and outcomes of today’s meeting, which he said has been prompted by the existing “tense situation” in occupied regions. 

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Chikovani also said all their partners agree that the Geneva International Discussions (GID), the only international format addressing the security and humanitarian situation in occupied regions, “has been practically suspended and no decisions are being made”. 

Russia has occupied two Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia). Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge

Deputy Chairman of Parliament Gia Volski also agrees that the precondition to this meeting was the “tense situation along the occupation line”. 

In this case, on the one hand, the right way would be an armed confrontation, defence, attack and on the other hand, the way of negotiations, which our partner countries, US and EU-member states back as well”, Volski stated. 

Opposition United National Movement MP Roman Gotsiridze plans to invite Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani to parliament on a committee hearing to ask in details the reason and reasonability of his meeting with Lavrov. Gotsiridze considers that it is inadmissible to hold such meetings “secretly from public”. 

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Foreign Minister Zalkaliani met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York today. 

The meeting, which is the first since Georgia suspended its diplomatic ties with Russia following the Russia-Georgia war in 2008, was "initiated and facilitated" by Switzerland.